The United States of America, USA, has said that it is strongly behind the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian government because his administration was pursuing an agenda that is in accordance with the country’s expectations.
Deputy Director, Office of West African Affairs, Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, Nathan Holt, made this known from Washington, D.C. during a teleconference on the topic: ‘Nigeria, a critical U.S. partner’.
Holt said Buhai’s election in 2015 was not only historic for Nigeria, but for the whole of Africa, as it was the first time an incumbent President would be defeated in an election that was generally adjudged free and fair.
“In 2015, Nigeria had a very important election. It elected Muhammadu Buhari as president,” he said.
“This represented the first time in Nigerian history that there was a peaceful, democratic transfer of power from one party to an opposition party.
“It was a milestone not only for Nigeria, but really for Africa as a whole.”
Holt further said that President Buhari’s cardinal administrative policies are consistent with the US’ interest in Nigeria.
He said: “President Buhari’s electoral platform was that he wanted to fight insecurity, particularly the depredations of Boko Haram and other forces in the northeast.
“He wanted to grow the Nigerian economy, create jobs for its growing population, and he wanted to fight corruption.
“Well, the nice thing about that agenda is that it meshes very well with our own.
“That is – those are areas of focus that very much are consistent with U.S. interests in Nigeria.
“We too want to partner with Nigeria and its neighbours to fight terrorism.
“We too support private-sector-led economic growth.
“And we are very much in favour of President Buhari’s campaign against corruption.”
The American envoy said that his country plans to cut foreign aids as well as payments to UN programmes.
But he added that the US will continue rendering financial assistance to Nigeria and other countries in West Africa.